PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The veteran's service-connected PTSD and residuals of a gunshot wound to the left hand did not substantially or materially contribute to cause his death, but he was in receipt of a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities for over ten years prior to his death. Therefore, DIC benefits are granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of in-service stressors and a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran's PTSD is related to his service.

The Board has determined that additional efforts should be made to contact the veteran and obtain more specific information regarding his claimed inservice stressors. The case is being remanded for further development.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since February 22, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and tinnitus, finding that there was no current diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and insufficient evidence to establish a causal link between the service-connected cervical spine disability and tinnitus.

The veteran seeks an increased rating for his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), currently rated at 30 percent. The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete information.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received after a previous rating decision, and the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD based on sexual trauma is pending.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied because there is no credible evidence of a stressor that occurred during his military service. The Board found the veteran's account of sexual assault by a sergeant to be not credible and noted inconsistencies in the medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from a VA clinic and verifying stressors. The veteran's claim for PTSD will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and a need for notification of what evidence would be necessary to reopen the claim.

The RO granted the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than July 15, 2000 for the grant of service connection for PTSD and awarded him a 100 percent disability evaluation. The decision was based on new medical evidence received in November 1999.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD symptoms, as reflected in his VA examinations, most nearly approximate occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency but do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for PTSD from March 29, 2001 through August 2, 2005 and a higher rating of 100 percent beginning August 3, 2005.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and medical opinions to determine the validity of his claims.

The veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 30 percent from April 15, 1999 to May 23, 2005 and later increased to 70 percent on or after May 24, 2005. The appeal is denied as the current ratings do not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for post-traumatic stress disorder was denied as the most recent claim for service connection was received on August 14, 1992.

The Board finds that the veteran's service medical records corroborate his reported stressors related to hospitalization for meningitis and appendectomy, leading to a diagnosis of PTSD. The Board grants service connection for PTSD as it is found to be directly related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to ambiguities in the record regarding the existence and etiology of PTSD. The veteran needs to be examined by a psychologist and a psychiatrist to determine if he suffers from PTSD, its etiology, and whether it is related to service.

The veteran's anxiety disorder and PTSD are found to be secondary to his service-connected eczematous dermatitis. The veteran does not have a diagnosed chronic intestinal disorder or Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but the evidence supports that his tinea pedis is related to his service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is a result of in-service events, including being held at knifepoint during an attempted sexual assault and confinement in the gas chamber without a gas mask. The claim for service connection is granted.